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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27457432">Rose Petals and Petty Rivalries</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sodalitefully/pseuds/Sodalitefully'>Sodalitefully</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Guns N Roses AUs :) [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Guns N' Roses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Flower Shop &amp; Tattoo Parlor, Gen, M/M, Pre-Slash, poor tracii is stuck with these bastards, the enemy of my enemy is my potential love interest</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 01:43:07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,604</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27457432</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sodalitefully/pseuds/Sodalitefully</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Axl is a florist at the Hollywood Rose, Slash works at the L.A. Guns tattoo parlor.  They become unlikely allies in a neighborly feud.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Axl Rose/Slash | Saul Hudson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Guns N Roses AUs :) [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2014690</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Rose Petals and Petty Rivalries</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I only just realized I never posted this one on ao3!  It was originally published in bullet points on tumblr, so if it reads a little funny at some points, that's why.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Hollywood Rose is a florist, run by Axl Rose and Izzy Stradlin (in the place of the actual owner, who never seems to make an appearance), with Duff McKagan behind the wheel of the delivery truck. Axl likes working there; he likes the flowers, he likes the quiet, and he likes how things don't ever change: business is slow but steady, customers are as predictable as ever... and the tattoo parlor next door is still a pain in his <i>fucking</i> ass. Don't even get him fucking started about how it scares off the Rose's customers by attracting seedy thugs, or how the owner is a fucking creep that Axl may or may not have <i>history</i> with.</p><p>Seriously, don't: Izzy might actually gouge his eyes out with plant clippers if he has to hear Axl's rant one more goddamn time.</p><p>Tracii Guns opened up the L.A. Guns tattoo parlor a few years ago, and he doesn't plan on moving anytime soon, no matter how much animosity he gets from the flowerboy next door. Business is going well for once; so well, in fact, that Tracii has decided it's time to hire a second artist.</p><p>There's just one problem with that: There's only one tattoo artist in LA who is both up to Tracii's standards and looking for a place to set up shop, and that person is Saul Hudson, better known as <i>Slash,</i> a talented, hotshot artist who also happens to have a rivalry with Tracii dating all the way back to their school days when they first upgraded from stick-and-pokes to cheap tattoo kits.</p><p>Tracii left his mark on more of LA's reckless youth than Slash did in their teen years, but just barely and only because Slash was often distracted by anything from BMX to zookeeping. He may have gotten a slower start to his career, but Slash's talent as an artist is now making him a hot commodity in the tattooing community – If Tracii doesn't grab him now, someone else will hire him soon enough, and Tracii can't risk that kind of competition.</p><p>So Tracii reaches out and Slash accepts the job offer, but that doesn't mean their little rivalry has been resolved. Tracii tells Slash that there's not enough space in the tiny shop for both of their work stations on street level, so he assigns Slash the basement. Slash actually really likes the space, once he gets it all cleared out and set up the way he likes (he calls it "the snakepit" in his head), but he's not about to let Tracii get first pick of every customer who walks in the door. Whenever he's not with a client, Slash is hovering around upstairs, putting his art up on the walls, greeting potential customers from behind the counter, and generally doing everything he can to poach Tracii's clients. Tracii does not appreciate his efforts, but when he's in the middle of an appointment there's nothing he can do to stop him.</p><p>So now Tracii has to deal with competition from his own employee (though by no means is their feud one-sided...) on top of his pissy neighbor who somehow manages to give Tracii an impressive amount of attitude while also blatantly ignoring him. <i>Of-fucking-couse</i> things only get worse when the two meet.</p><p>Duff is new in town, fresh from Seattle, Washington, and working two jobs to pay for his shitty bug-infested studio apartment: by day, he drives the Hollywood Rose delivery van, and by night he waits tables at a steakhouse across town. So he's not entirely caught up on the details of Axl and Tracii's bad blood, and comes into work one morning eager to show off his brand new tattoo.</p><p>He got it from an artist that his buddy Steven recommended. "It's just the place next door, Axl, have you gotten any of your tattoos done there?" An innocent question, perfectly reasonable, and yet –</p><p>"...Oh. You went <i>there?"</i> Poor Duff has done nothing to deserve the look of sour disdain that Axl is serving.</p><p>"Uh. Yeah, I got it done in the basement, seemed like a pretty neat place. Why, what's up?"</p><p>"Wait – in the basement?"</p><p>"Yeah, Ax, Tracii's got a new hire," Izzy throws in, still admiring Duff's new ink – it was well done, he has to admit. "I'm surprised you have't seen him around, he's pretty, uh, distinctive. Big fluffy hair, likes jewelry and leather?"</p><p>"Izzy, that describes about half of Guns' clientele."</p><p>"Nah, you'll know him when you see him, trust me." Duff bobs his head in agreement.</p><p>"Hm. What's his name?"</p><p><i>"Slash.</i> He's a nice guy, really talented –" Duff adds, but Axl has stopped listening – he's formulating a plan.</p><p>For the past two years, give or take, since L.A. Guns opened its doors, Axl has been making a point of going to any and all of Tracii's competitors to get his ink done, without so much as sparing a glance at the parlor next door (not counting the occasional glowering from behind slanted blinds, or fantasizing about ramming his car into Tracii's trash bins in the shared parking lot). But that day, Axl marches right into L.A. Guns, meets Tracii dead in the eye and demands an appointment as soon as possible – with Slash.</p><p>Tracii gapes at him for a second. The shock of seeing Axl in his shop fades quickly, replaced by an expression that broadcasts <i>Are You Fucking Kidding Me</i> loudly enough to be picked up by any radio antenna in a 30-mile range.</p><p>"You can't be serious Axl. Why don't you go back to your fucking daffodils and leave me the fuck alone, hm?"</p><p>Axl arches a brow and opens his mouth to retort, but he's cut off by a tangle of curly hair and bare limbs that swoops in, shoves Tracii back, and tips forward over the countertop until his frizzy bangs are inches from Axl's face, all in one fluid rush that Axl can barely follow.</p><p>"He doesn't want to talk to <i>you,</i> Guns, so why don't you scurry off and give us a minute to take care of business?" He doesn't say it like a question, and he smirks when Tracii throws up his hands with a huff and stalks off to his station at the back of the room. Once he and Axl are granted the illusion of privacy, the smirk transforms into a dazzling grin, propped up on his fist as he – Slash, obviously (Axl realizes what Izzy meant when he described the man as "distinctive") – leans forward on the tall counter, offering Axl his best "sorry about my crazy boss now how can I help you?" look.</p><p>"So, you're interested in a consultation appointment?"</p><p>Axl belatedly realizes that he's blushing. "Fluffy hair, likes jewelry and leather" was obviously an inadequate description; Izzy had failed to prepare Axl for Slash's warm brown eyes, for the way the hoops in his ears peek out from his mass of soft-looking curls or the way his sleeveless shirt shows off the ink on his arms... And that's not to mention his beautifully infectious <i>smile.</i></p><p>"Yeah," Axl responds, his voice pitching up a bit against his will. "Maybe around this time tomorrow, if you're available?"</p><p>Slash flips open a day planner and hovers his pen over tomorrow's date. "How does tomorrow evening at 5:15 sound?"</p><p>"That would be great."</p><p>"And your name?"</p><p>"Axl Rose."</p><p>Slash pauses and glances down at Axl's work clothes, lingering on the pin over his pocket with his first name and the shop logo. He looks back up at Axl with a bemused expression. "Axl <i>Rose?</i> Who are you, the mascot?"</p><p>
  <i>"Hey!"</i>
</p><p>"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Slash giggles then manages to compose himself. "Axl Rose at 5:15," he pens the appointment in slanted script. "I didn't mean to make fun... Did you do the arrangements in the front windows? They're really beautiful."</p><p>"...Thank you." As a tattooed florist with anger issues, Axl is in no position to stereotype, but he still wasn't expecting to hear that from Slash. If he wasn't blushing before, he certainly is now.</p><p>Tracii scoffs loudly behind Slash, and Axl's pink flush is abruptly replaced by an angry, embarrassed red. He hunches his shoulders and mutters a <i>thank you</i> when Slash slides him a business card with the appointment time scribbled on the back, then heads for the door as confidently as he can manage. This whole plan to piss Tracii off wasn't going to work if he keeps getting flustered by the cute, overly-friendly new artist.</p><p>"I'll see you tomorrow!" Slash calls after him cheerfully.</p><p>Slash watches Axl walk out the door and back towards the Rose, then finally turns around to meet Tracii's incredulous scowl.</p><p>"You're not really going to do a piece for him, are you?"</p><p>"Uh, yeah, why wouldn't I?"</p><p>"'Cause he's a Grade-A fucking asshole who's had it out for me and my shop ever since I moved in."</p><p>Slash laughs dismissively. "You're full of shit, Tracii, he seems like a real sweetheart to me."</p><p>Tracii snorts. "Axl Rose, a fucking sweetheart?"</p><p>"You jealous, Guns?"</p><p>"Hardly," Tracii says with a scowl. "He's going to hate the tattoo and then use it as an excuse to give me even more shit than he already does. It'll be unbearable around here with him bitching all the time."</p><p>"You mean like how you're bitching right now? You don't know <i>shit,"</i> Slash declares, "because Axl is going to <i>love</i> his new ink and you're not going to hear a thing from him except when he's beating down our door to beg me for more."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I DO intend to continue this one day, but don't hold your breath.  Comments are very much appreciated!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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